Mirabai Chanu secures third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal
India concluded Day 4 of the 2026 Commonwealth Games with a total of four medals, including one gold and two silvers, following a successful day that also saw boxers advance and the men’s swimming relay team reach a final. The day’s highlight was Mirabai Chanu, who secured her third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal in weightlifting.
Chanu, an Olympic silver medallist, delivered a dominant performance in the women’s 48kg category. Despite an initial unsuccessful attempt, she achieved a combined lift of 190kg. Her performance included setting a new Commonwealth Games record of 85kg in the snatch, followed by a lift of 105kg in the clean and jerk, which comfortably secured her the title. This victory marks a hat-trick of Commonwealth Games gold medals for Chanu, adding to her previous triumphs in Gold Coast in 2018 and Birmingham in 2022. Her overall Commonwealth Games medal count now stands at four.
Weightlifting success continues
In addition to Chanu’s gold, India‘s weightlifters secured two silver medals. Rishikanta Singh Chanambam earned a silver medal in the men’s 60kg event. The 28-year-old lifter from Manipur successfully cleared 116kg, 119kg, and 121kg in the snatch, with his best effort equalling the Commonwealth Games record. He then managed 143kg in the clean and jerk, finishing with a total lift of 264kg. Malaysia’s Muhammad Anik bin Kasdan won gold with a Games-record total of 273kg, while Kenya’s Joshua Amunga Buoya claimed bronze with a lift of 260kg. Rishikanta mentioned a knee problem affected his clean and jerk attempts, preventing him from achieving his gold medal target.
Raja Muthupandi secured the third weightlifting medal for India, taking silver in the men’s 65kg category. The lifter from Tamil Nadu recorded 126kg in the snatch and 160kg in the clean and jerk, resulting in a combined total of 286kg. Malaysia’s Muhamad Aznil Bin Bidin won gold with a Commonwealth Games record total of 299kg, and Papua New Guinea’s Morea Baru took bronze with 282kg. This silver medal marks a comeback for Muthupandi, who previously finished sixth in Gold Coast in 2018 and missed the Birmingham 2022 Games due to injury.
Boxing and swimming advancements
India‘s boxers also had a productive day. Jadumani Singh Mandengbam advanced to the quarter-finals of the men’s 55kg category by defeating Pakistan‘s Sumama Rehman with a unanimous 5-0 decision. After a close first round, Mandengbam gained control, securing a knockdown in the second round. He is scheduled to face England‘s Ellis Trowbridge in the quarter-finals. In the women’s 54kg Round of 16, Preeti Pawar secured her place in the quarter-finals with a dominant victory over Malawi‘s Deborah Mtenje, winning by referee stops contest (RSC). However, Aditya Pratap Yadav faced a setback, narrowly losing to Uganda‘s Nuhu Batte in the men’s 65kg Round of 16 by a 3-2 split decision.
In swimming, India‘s men’s 4x200m freestyle relay team, comprising Srihari Nataraj, Aryan Nehra, Aneesh Gowda, and Dhakshan Shashikumar, qualified for the final. They finished third in Heat 2 with a time of 7:39.48, behind Australia and England, and ahead of Jersey. The quartet advanced as the sixth-fastest team overall from the combined heats. Later in the evening, the same team competed in the medal race, finishing sixth in the Commonwealth Games final.
Other events saw mixed results for India. In lawn bowls, Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh lost to Namibia in a women’s pairs sectional play tiebreak and then to England, ending their campaign. Putul Sonowal also lost his men’s singles sectional play match against Malta‘s Shaun James Parnis. Artistic gymnast Tapan Mohanty finished 15th in the men’s all-around final. Additionally, India‘s women’s 3×3 wheelchair basketball team lost 21-4 to Scotland in Pool B.
Day 4 concluded with India having accumulated four medals in total at the Games.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
